Harbin Engineering University (HEU) has secured a landmark haul of four State Science and Technology Awards, a first for the institution in many categories.
Professor YANG Desen from the College of Underwater Acoustic Engineering led a research project that claimed the First Prize of the State Technological Invention Award — the university’s maiden win of this top-tier national honour. A project spearheaded by Professor YIN Jingwei from the College of Underwater Acoustic Engineering took home the Second Prize of the State Technological Invention Award. Distinguished Professor Carlos Guedes Soares was conferred the China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. Professor LI Guorui from the College of Shipbuilding Engineering served as the second principal contributor to a project awarded the Second Prize of the State Natural Science Award.
An academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, professor of the College of Underwater Acoustic Engineering, Chair of HEU’s Academic Committee and a preeminent authority in underwater acoustics, YANG Desen pioneered the theory and engineering applications of underwater vector acoustics in China. His team developed a complete proprietary theoretical and technical system tailored to the acoustic advancement of underwater vehicles, fulfilling critical national development demands. He has received more than 20 national and provincial honours including the National Model Worker and National Distinguished Young Expert.
A recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and professor of the College of Underwater Acoustic Engineering, YIN Jingwei focuses on deep-sea detection, underwater acoustic communication & networking, and polar acoustic technologies. His team invented a distributed deep-sea underwater information detection system to safeguard national underwater information security. His research has claimed four first-class provincial and ministerial awards, been listed among national top 9 scientific advances and top 10 breakthroughs in information communications, and earned a Second Prize in National Teaching Achievements.
Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Member of the Portuguese Academy of Engineering, Professor Carlos Guedes Soares is a globally renowned expert in marine and offshore structural engineering. His joint research outputs with HEU were recognised as a landmark achievement marking the 40th anniversary of China-Portugal diplomatic ties, and he received the Chinese Government Friendship Award in 2024.
A national leading talent in fundamental research, Professor LI specialises in soft matter & flexible structural mechanics, electro-hydraulically driven deep-sea soft robots and flexible detection equipment. As the second completer for the project “Extreme Deformation Mechanisms of Soft Materials and Limit Design of Soft Robots”, his work advances cross-disciplinary integration of fundamental mechanics and robotics for deep-sea exploration. He pioneered static-fluid drive theories for deep-sea soft robots and developed China’s first electro-hydraulic deep-sea soft carrier robot, presiding over multiple National Key R&D Programmes and National Natural Science Foundation projects.
